Providers' Perspectives on Telemental Health Usage After the COVID-19 Pandemic: Retrospective Analysis

Hattie Wilczewski; Samantha R Paige; Triton Ong; Hiral Soni; Janelle F Barrera; Brandon M Welch; Brian E Bunnell

doi:10.2196/39634

Providers' Perspectives on Telemental Health Usage After the COVID-19 Pandemic: Retrospective Analysis

JMIR Form Res. 2022 Nov 11;6(11):e39634. doi: 10.2196/39634.

Authors

Hattie Wilczewski¹, Samantha R Paige¹, Triton Ong¹, Hiral Soni¹, Janelle F Barrera^{1

2}, Brandon M Welch^{1

3}, Brian E Bunnell^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Doxy.me Research, Doxy.me Inc, Rochester, NY, United States.
² Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States.
³ Biomedical Informatics Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States.

PMID: 36322787
PMCID: PMC9662289
DOI: 10.2196/39634

Abstract

Background: Mental health care pivoted to telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic, and there is uncertainty around the sustainability of this rapid shift.

Objective: This study examined how intentions to continue using telemedicine after the COVID-19 pandemic are influenced by provider perceptions of usefulness, ease of use, and professional social influence, facilitating organizational conditions.

Methods: We conducted a web-based, cross-sectional survey of 369 telemental health providers between February and March 2021. A hierarchical linear regression analysis was conducted to predict intentions to continue using telemedicine after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Results: Most providers began using telemedicine in March 2020 or later (257/369, 69.6%) and attended to ≥50% of their clients via telemedicine (299/369, 81.0%). Intention to continue using telemedicine after the COVID-19 pandemic was predicted by the telemedicine caseload (β=.10; P=.005), perceived usefulness in general (β=.10; P=.008), ease of use (β=.08; P=.04), social influence (β=.68; P<.001), and facilitating conditions (β=.08; P=.047).

Conclusions: Exploration of the predictors of telemedicine usage beyond the COVID-19 pandemic aids in surveillance of telemedicine usage, integration with future clinic workflows, and the shaping of public policy. It is important to consider telemedicine services as not only a response to a crisis but also an effective and useful solution for everyday life. Our results suggest widespread, sustainable telemedicine adoption.

Keywords: COVID-19; mental health; pandemic; perception; telehealth; telemedicine; telemental health; usage; use; usefulness; workflow.

©Hattie Wilczewski, Samantha R Paige, Triton Ong, Hiral Soni, Janelle F Barrera, Brandon M Welch, Brian E Bunnell. Originally published in JMIR Formative Research (https://formative.jmir.org), 11.11.2022.